The Truth, Bella
by TLC Middle School Language Art
Summary: Bellatrix LeStrange is back as a ghost!


The Truth, Bella (Harry Potter Fanfic)

A tall, stunning dark woman glided slowly across the narrow streets of Knockturn Alley. Her shining dark hair, long eyelashes, and heavily lidded eyes made her look creepy yet stunning. Her face shone in the streetlight, pale and tired, but nobody missed the same, dangerous aura that surrounded her during her presence. She wore the exact same taunting grin and playful eyes as before. Her glowing, pitch-black dress robes made her look darkly majestic, and her chest puffed into the air proudly as she continued down the street. The people of Knockturn Street bowed to her when she passed them, slowly recovering from the hesitation or fright from her sudden appearance. Bellatrix Lestrange's ghost drifted down the dusky street, turned a corner, and flew into Borgin and Burke's, the shop that sold dark magic and dark artifacts.

Bellatrix floated straight through the door and into the shop, getting to know her new, ghostly powers. After she died, she chose to become a free spirit, a ghost that held the ability to do whatever any living wizard or witch could do. She could do magic, touch or hold things, eat, or make people feel something horrible. Being a free spirit lives as an honor, since they resemble an upgraded dead ghost.

The dusky, dim shop of Borgin and Burke's looked ancient and dusty. The jars and cases held bony hands, at least one hundred pairs of blood-soaked eyeballs, magical cards that dived down like attack planes, swirling around the chandelier, and a million other dark and creepy substances that made anyone get scared, or, as in Bellatrix's crazy and dangerous perspective, fascinating.

With an evil smile on her lips, she surveyed closely on a bunch of non-magic people's bones that adorned the cracked ceiling and a few pairs of poisonous earrings that hung in the display case. She looked around for a while, observing the new sales and bestselling substances, but, in the end, remembered why she was here and continued on.

This place made her feel like home. A slight shiver crossed her Dark Mark and she rubbed it gently, lost in thoughts. Now that she touched it, her beloved master never appeared at his Death Eaters' call. The burning of her Dark Mark made her face flush in color of excitement, knowing that Borgin and Burke's definitely would be the right place for finding the information she wanted.

Bellatrix watched with pure amusement as Borgin, the shop co-owner, danced out of the back storage room, skipping and singing in a cheerful manner. His mean and ruthless eyes didn't seek the shop for customers, now that the Knockturn Alley bore such low sale after the Second Wizarding War. Borgin danced around in circles, apparently obsessed and occupied with the huge boxes of new sales in his short, chubby arms and his new dance moves.

Borgin sang the new Muggle song, Focus by Ariana Grande, with a horrible high-pitched voice, closing his eyes dramatically. Bellatrix lifted an eyebrow, glaring at him piercingly under her heavily lidded eyes.

Borgin tossed something silver and gold into the air, probably the shop's new sale product, smiling with happiness. He turned around just that second, seeing Bellatrix for the first time.

Borgin froze, transfixed and horrified, dropping his new sale onto the stone floor with a bang. He shut his mouth tightly as Bellatrix lingered over him, a devilish cackle escaping through her ghostly grey lips.

"Borgin, is it?" Bellatrix laughed, showing her crooked and disgusting teeth. "Where is your loyalty when the Dark Lord fell for the second time? I fought by his side, even when I died. He entrusted you with something, Borgin. He told you about a prophecy that would be able to save him if he fell for the second time to that sickening Potter boy. I'll need you to recite it again, for me."

Borgin's lips shook violently as he responded Bellatrix, quivering with despair and feeling her icy hand on his shoulder. "Th-there was no prophecy, Ma-Madam L-Lestrange. O-only the D-Dark Lord knows of it. H-he never told p-poor Borgin."

Bellatrix's face looked concerned in a fake way as her eyes glowered at him. Her eyes widened in an inhuman way and her pouty lips puffed up, making Borgin shake uncontrollably. "Coward, spoken with the same tongue of stupid house elves. Crucio."

Borgin fell on the floor with a hard thump and began screaming at the top of his lungs, withering on the ground with pain. Bellatrix cocked her head to one side, showing her pouty lips once again, and slowly drew her wand away from Borgin's body.

He began panting furiously, laying on his stomach and groaning. When Bellatrix flicked her walnut-made wand, a jet of dark magic snaked itself around Borgin, making him panic. Bellatrix flicked her wand upwards and Borgin's bonded up body stood and faced her.

"The prophecy, Borgin," she hissed wildly into his ear.

Borgin hesitated and responded, trembling again as the black bonds tightened. "The prophecy mentioned a certain follower of the Dark Lord, his most precious, and another Death Eater, a failed coward, to return him back to life. The Dark Lord fled to the safest place, a place where is least suspected as his current hideout. A truth delivered to these two Death Eaters ears, and they shall forever live a grateful life—"

"I carry time in my pockets, you ungrateful scum. I need to return to Malfoy Manor," snapped Bellatrix, interrupting Borgin's tale of the prophecy. "Tell me the answer of the wise Dark Lord rather than losing your head and mine too for stupid and wasteful thinking."

Borgin blinked several times in confusion. "Ye-yes, Madam Lestrange. The Dark Lord stayed in Hogwarts, as it is the place where he spent most of his life and he thought was safest. The Dark Lord said that the most faithful and loyal Death Eaters shall be you, madam—" as Bellatrix glowed with pride "—and the failed coward shall be—"

"Lucius!" screeched Bellatrix, her face fuming with anger. "He failed my beloved master. He became a coward and only cared for his family, leaving mysteriously after the Dark Lord disappeared. While I, his most faithful servant, only cares for serving my dearest master. I reject Lucius as my partner in such a quest as dangerous and vulnerable as this, Borgin. An unworthy and failed scum equals to Lucius, and he shall not be ever allowed a second chance."

"No, madam," Borgin piped up, trying to lift a finger but failing when the magical bonds tightened at his struggle. "The Dark Lord didn't request Mr. Lucius Abraxas Malfoy on this quest. He knew that you would most definitely hate him after the war. The Dark Lord asks for Mr. Malfoy's son, Draco, to accompany you to the quest to return the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly. She disliked Lucius, but Draco helped his dear Aunt Bellatrix several times in sticky spots before, so she accepted her nephew instantly as a partner.

"Madam," called Borgin, snapping Bellatrix from her ghostly daydreams, "the prophecy may be incorrect. The Dark Lord may not return, no matter how hard you try to find him. H-he might truly be dead."

"No! I desire his return! I desire what he desires! I mostly desire his love for me!" cried Bellatrix as tears welled up in her eyes. She remembered how her master taught her the Dark Arts, gave her everything she wanted most, and announced her as his most faithful and loyal Death Eater. She replayed all those cruel and lovable memories in her head, thinking fondly of each and everyone of them.

"Hem, hem, Madam Lestrange," coughed Borgin politely as Bellatrx shot him a warning look from behind those thick, black eyelashes. She stopped whimpering sadly and straightened herself up, looking more like the tough Bellatrix Lestrange again.

"The prophecy said to go to Hogwarts? It is a filthy huge place, if you know, where would I find for whatever I'm looking for?" asked Bellatrix impatiently.

"Find the Resurrection Stone," Borgin told her. "The stone that retrieves loved ones from the dead. Harry Potter became the last owner of it, but it got lost somewhere in Hogwarts when he saw his loved ones after flipping the stone."

"The Resurrection Stone?" shrieked Bellatrix, awestruck and depressed. "My master still lives in this world! Death means a dearly harsh thing to him. I believe in his survival."

"Yes," whispered Borgin quietly, his mind off into outer space as he wondered about his lost ones. This topic reminded him of his best friend, Caractacus Burke, the other co-owner of Borgin and Burke's. He shook his head gloomily. "You can talk to him in that Resurrection Stone, my lady, even if he may be alive since he always obtained a soul in the bridge between life and death. Finish the first phase of this job, he said, and be his only loyal one."

Those words impacted impressively on Bellatrix and she nodded sincerely, releasing Borgin from the Dark Magic bonds. He sighed with relief and relaxed his plump arms.

"He might be dead—" before Borgin could say anything else, Bellatrix thrashed her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at his chest.

"My Lord still lives," she whispered savagely as a lock of black hair fell into her face. Her eyes widened with fake concern again. She gave Borgin one last meaningful nod of her head and turned on her heels, exiting this place where she started to feel sick.

"He trusted you as his most loyal servant," called Borgin faintly behind her.

Bellatrix ignored him and kept on towards the door. When she reached it, Borgin's voice echoed softly at the end of the shop.

"The Dark Lord admires you deeply," he called after her, "but he wants you to know the truth, Bella."

Angry and troubled, Bellatrix Lestrange hurried through the door and down the streets of Knockturn Alley.

CHAPTER TWO (a week or so later)

Draco Malfoy felt a slight, cold air go through him as his ghost aunt, who just turned invisible to be undiscovered, ran into him. He flipped his handsome and sleek white-blonde hair out of his face as he continued listening to Blaise Zambini and Pansy Parkinson chat about nonsense.

The train ride became quite peaceful after his two friends found nothing more to talk about, and all three Slytherins sat looking out the window in silence. In the compartment, somewhere, his aunt flowed invisibly around, trying to find something to do without being caught. Draco saw a glimpse of her invisible form with his sharp, cold grey eyes and sighed. Having Aunt Bellatrix along became considerable annoying, since he handled a job to guard her from anyone's sight until the end of the year. Guarding his crazy Death Eater aunt made the job seem impossible. She handles the title of a troublemaker, and covering tracks of a troublemaker makes it harder than getting through exams at school.

Draco's Aunt Bellatrix promised to protect him this year from harm, even though he rejected her to come along on his eighth and final year at Hogwarts. She insisted, so Draco finally gave in. Looking through her large eyes, Draco could see that his aunt lied to him about coming to Hogwarts only for his protection. She wanted to do something else in Hogwarts, some secret she forbid to share.

The Hogwarts' Express finally made a full stop and everyone got out. Draco saw a glimpse of invisible grey and black hair flying through the students, making each one of them shudder slightly.

An old castle came into view when the fog parted. The tall and wide gates and the magnificent grounds made Draco, for the first time, long to see it all again. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry changed after the war. Less people attended Hogwarts for their eighth and last year, like Harry Potter and his Weasley friend, who accepted the job of an Auror and already started to take training lessons. Other people never came back, of course, like the ones who died in war. Draco held back a few tears, trying to forget his friend Vincent Crabbe, who accidentally killed himself by using the dark magic curse, Fiendfyre, during the war.

Draco Malfoy, one of the many few, came back to Hogwarts for their eighth year. The starry sky and moonlit valleys skid pass Draco's sight as magical horses called Thestrals pulled the carriage towards the main gate of Hogwarts.

"Meet me in the third floor corridor at midnight, Draco. Don't be followed and don't bring anyone along. It's a quest and secret I need to share with you. Be a good boy and act fine," hissed Bellatrix into Draco's ear before she set off invisibly up the moving staircases.

Draco only nodded and continued on into the Great Hall, remembering and reviewing his Aunt Bellatrix's words carefully in his head. During dinner, Headmistress McGonagall made a few announcements, but it only made Draco cringe at the memory of Professor Dumbledore being killed.

The feast, as magnificent and delicious as ever, started after the Headmistress's announcements and Draco could imagine Weasel Bee eating his chicken legs hungrily like a scavenger and Granger hitting him with her thick textbooks. The thought made Draco smile, and long to see his old enemies who somehow became his friends during the war.

After dinner, Draco separated from his friends, making an excuse for going to finish a report for Professor Slughorn, and slipped to the third floor. The quietness of the empty corridor made Draco shudder, not daring to light his wand up in case that old Squib Filch came chasing at him, chanting in delight, "STUDENTS OUT OF BED! STUDENTS IN THE CORRIDORS!"

Draco really hated to be caught out during curfew, especially since he got fifty points taken away from Slytherin for walking out at night during his first year at Hogwarts.

He muttered to himself, slowly walking down the halfway. The paintings on the wall always fell silent immediately after curfew, since some of them snore and go sleeping at a very prompt time.

Draco crept down the corridor, muttering in a hushed whisper, his long fingers closing around his wand. "Aunt Bella, where are you?"

Bellatrix appeared at his side and made Draco jump. "Bloody hell, you could've told me, save my heart beating faster than a flapping doxy's wing."

Bellatrix grabbed his shoulder. "Stop fussing, child. We hold important matters in our hands to discuss, Draco." She pulled her nephew into a large room cupboard and told him everything. She became rather nasty and impatient when he started asking questions.

"The Dark Lord reborn or found again? How else would this plan work?" asked Draco, his pale face shining in the dim light made by Bellatrix's wand and his eyes glimmering handsomely.

"Yes, or do you believe our dear master dead?" shot Bellatrix.

"No, madam. Yes, I believe you. Yes, I shall do as you say. Yes, I accept the dangers of this quest," replied Draco quickly, twisting his fingers nervously.

"Good boy, now let's start tonight. Let us look around the corridors for the Resurrection Stone, and kill a few students along the way, eh, Draco?" joked Bellatrix, showing carrots stuck in her teeth. Draco silently wished Bellatrix just joked about killing students.

They crept down the hall and turned a corner, coming face-to-face with Filch the caretaker. Filch grinned at Draco, apparently not seeing Bellatrix.

"Children out of bed. Well, well, this may be Draco Malfoy, what a grand surprise. I must take you to Professor Slughorn of Slytherin house, or perhaps Professor McGonagall since she deals with the rules much severely and takes away many points from houses. A letter sent to your mother very soon and on the way. Come now, be a good Malfoy, and follow me to my office. Professor Dumbledore might come himself and expel you."

Bellatrix found her wand in her heavy robes at last. Cackling evilly, Filch grabbed Draco's wrist and forced him to walk.

"Crucio—" before Bellatrix could curse Filch, Draco lashed out his own wand and deflected the painful Cruciatus curse with "Protego." Bellatrix looked beyond angry, her nostrils flaring and her black eyes full of dangerous fire. Before she turned her wand on Draco himself, he quickly finished Filch off.

"Obliviate," the memory remover charm worked on the silly Squib, and the memory of seeing Draco Malfoy at curfew quickly sank into his wand and out of Filch's head.

"Hide," whispered Draco to his aunt, as they both darted into the nearest room cupboard. Filch returned normal, picking up his oil lamp and prowling around for out-of-bed students again.

Draco faced his aunt, and she frowned slightly at him with her big, baby eyes.

"What's wrong, Draco? Tell auntie—"

"You need to stop cursing every person and every thing you see," Draco scolded as Bellatrix looked slightly taken aback. "We need to start somewhere to find the Resurrection Stone. Somewhere the Dark Lord ventured and a place where he trusted. The Resurrection Stone appearing in the middle of a used corridor that students walk in every day? No, Aunt Bella!"

"What do you want me to do, Draco?" snarled Bellatrix. "A corridor equals perfectly to finding the Resurrection Stone. This horrid quest shall not lead me into being a locked-up ghost and detected by the Ministry. Where do you want me to go to find that stupid old rock? You think the Room of Requirement, perhaps?"

"Yes," Draco snapped back. "Exactly. The Room of Requirement held the Dark Lord's most secretive possessions. Let's go there now before you jinx or kill another staff or student."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, but nodded at her nephew as they crawled out the room cupboard and out onto the cold and dark corridor.

The Room of Requirement felt familiar to Draco now, since he visited it so often during his sixth year while on a quest to kill Dumbledore for the Dark Lord. Bellatrix dragged him in, and Draco could feel the icy sting wash in his veins when his aunt touched him with her white, long fingers, dirt and blood stuck inside her fingernails.

The Room of Requirement felt different this time as Draco made a silent wish to find the Resurrection Stone. The black door swung widely open and revealed a cozy room with books, maps of Hogwarts, and other things related to the whereabouts of the Resurrection Stone.

Bellatrix stormed in, a slightly amazed Draco following quickly behind, and they looked through the thing the Room of Requirement provided. Draco picked up a few maps and books, searching for the closest info on the Resurrection Stone's latest owner and places.

Bellatrix bolted over to a displayed glass case in the center of the room. She picked at the glass with her wand, looking so close that her nose almost touched the glass. Her eyes widened with joy and happiness when she saw the displayed substance. A tiny, three-sided stone hovered in the middle of the glass case, looking rather ancient but magical. The Resurrection Stone sat right there, untouched and pure.

Draco stood there in awe. How on earth could this quest be so easy? He edged closer, looking around it to make sure. Apparently, Bellatrix tapped her wand continuously on the glass, quite annoyed at the glass that separated her from her dear master. Draco looked closely at the sign introducing the Resurrection Stone. The intro read:

"The Resurrection Stone –made by Death and first owner, Cadmus Peverell.

"Ah, I got the spell. Reducto!" Bellatrix shouted, laughing in triumph. Before Draco could say anything, the glass tingled, bursting open and making her and Draco fly back. Bits of glass filled the floor, and Draco cleaned the mess up quickly with a flick of his wand. Bellatrix lashed out of nowhere from the place she landed and snatched the Resurrection Stone into her open palm.

"Aunt Bella! Read the signs!"

On the description sign of the Resurrection Stone marked large and clear words, embroidered in golden letters: A Model of the Resurrection Stone.

Bellatrix howled with rage and threw the fake model onto the floor viciously. Draco sighed and picked up a map that landed by his foot. The Marauder's Map, the map Harry Potter used to get around Hogwarts ever since third year.

Draco pointed his wand at the parchment and muttered silently under his breath, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The piece of parchment revealed the map, ink covering the parchment. Draco instantly opened it and searched for the Resurrection Stone. He saw Filch on the fourth floor, Headmistress Professor McGonagall in her office, Professor Slughorn and some students in his office holding a Welcome Back party, and the name of Bellatrix Black Lestrange at his side.

Bellatrix edged forward, peering at the mysterious looking thing, and her eyes widened with amusement. She recognized the map, and Draco dug his fingernails into the map so that she would not reach for it.

"The map James Potter uses all the time! He struts around the school with his cronies and best friend Black, holding this stupid piece of parchment like he won another one of his Quidditch Cups. Oh, how I hated him. Better off dead, that strange and proud celebrity Potter," Bellatrix spat as Draco remained silent.

After a while of searching, Draco gave up. Bellatrix seemed amused of the map, laughing and cackling at funny things, but she too felt slightly disappointed not to see the Resurrection Stone show up.

"I give up," Draco said.

"No, no, stupid boy," cackled Bellatrix as she pointed her wand at the parchment. "Find me the Resurrection Stone."

Words filled the top of the map in cursive handwriting. The words said, "Dear Madam Bellatrix Black. We know about the Resurrection Stone's whereabouts. But, due to your dumb, selfish, and not careful personality, the Marauders and Makers of this Map present you three places you could find the Resurrection Stone. Number one, the Room of Requirement, Number Two, the Chamber of Secrets, and Number Three, the Forbidden Forest. Please leave the Room of Requirement now and never set your hands on the Marauders' possessions again. Thank you very much."

The Marauder's Map shut automatically and sent Bellatrix and Draco flying out the front door, landing hard as the door shut closed in front of them. The Room of Requirement disappeared as Draco tried to make another wish.

"James Potter, filthy scum making this stupid map. Don't listen to what it says, Draco, listen to me," says Bellatrix.

"Listen to you? When did your ideas work out? Starting out to find a rare and ancient subject in a used corridor? We need to follow what the Map says. You don't ignore the Marauders, Aunt Bella." Draco told her dangerously. "We start next week, Thursday, in the entrance of the Chamber of Secrets, Moaning Murtle's bathroom on the first floor. If you want to find the Dark Lord, listen to me. The Dark Lord may not even be alive, he died."

"No!" exploded Bellatrix. "The Dark Lord lived and I shall find him this time!"

"If you say so, Auntie. But would you risk me, a family member that loves you, to help you save the person that never loved you back? He died, Aunt Bellatrix, but if you can be so sure he lived, I regret this decision and comment I made about him."

Draco turned on his heels and walked off, his long black cloak following him close behind. Stunned by the seriousness of her nephew, Bellatrix Lestrange silently followed Draco back to the Slytherin common rooms as the school clock struck for midnight.

"The Dark Lord lived," Bellatrix murmured under her breath that night as she watched Draco fall asleep.

Chapter Three

The Chamber of Secrets made Draco dither with fear as Thursday edged closer and closer, like a dirty Bludger flying closer and closer to break his nose in Quidditch.

Bellatrix explored around the school, picking on students or cursing them, cackling evilly as they looked around for the curser but only found thin air. She remained invisible most of the day, but Draco could always feel her cold air and devilish laughter following him to every class and place. Bellatrix revealed herself at night to Draco when all his roommates slept soundly, talking to him and sharing her day of cursing people and taking information on the Chamber of Secrets and Parseltongue.

"I heard this boy from Hufflepuff tell a group of first years about Harry Potter, boasting about being a friend, as it seems," Bellatrix told Draco, one late twelve o'clock on Saturday. "His name, something along the lines of Just In Finger-Fetch, I guess, stupid name and by the smell of his blood I could be sure he was a Mudblood."

"Justin Finch-Fletchley? That Muggle-born boy from Hufflepuff?" asked Draco politely.

"Yes," snapped Bellatrix impatiently, blowing a piece of her darkish, black hair out of her eyes. "He told them about that scum, Harry Potter, and how he opened the Chamber of Secrets. He told them how little proud Potter spoke Parseltongue to save Finger-Fetch from a snake."

"Yeah, I remember," muttered Draco. "He saved the day."

"Hey ho, wee Potter saved another day," sang aunt and nephew together wearily.

In the end, they both burst out laughing and sang a few other songs. Those included Weasley is our King, Oh Great Dark Lord, and how Potter Saved The Day. Aunt and nephew sang and cracked up, played a silent game of Exploding Snap, and threw funny spells and Borgin and Burke's substances joyously around the room. At the end of the week, Draco and Bellatrix only felt happiness and enjoyed each other's company more than they could ever imagine.

Bellatrix became quite fond of Draco, and Draco quite protective and caring for her dangerous aunt. The two united as a team, becoming a perfect match, and set off to the Chamber of Secrets, Thursday at midnight.

The Chamber felt cold, ice piercing at Draco's skin like a dozen knives. Bellatrix felt nothing, gliding toward the circular portal leading to the main Chamber. Draco couldn't help but try to remember the password for getting in the Chamber of Secrets.

Apparently, Bellatrix already got that piece of information from Justin Finch-Fletchley. A horrible, hissing noise escaped through her ghost pale lips and the circular portal swung open, revealing the Chamber, the statue of Salazar Slytherin, and the skeleton or bones of the basilisk, a giant and poisonous serpent.

Draco walked slowly in the Chamber, frightened and scared as he glanced around. Bellatrix simply dashed in, charging toward the bones of the basilisk and looking around. Draco joined her ghost aunt a few moments later, sweat dripping down his face as his eyes grew larger, sensing creeps in the back of his stomach.

"Why could those bloodcurdling sharp teeth of a basilisk not scare you, Aunt Bellatrix? Let's go as back to the dormitory as soon as possible," whispered Draco with dread and panic in his cold, quavering voice.

"Baby nephew, come," beckoned Bellatrix as Draco obeyed and came forward to her. They stood in front of the basilisk's open mouth now. "Get that basilisk fang at the far end, Draco dear. Do you see it? It holds a sign on there, a triangle symbolizing the Resurrection Stone. Go get it now, Draco, be a brave boy."

Draco's bottom lip quivered as he slowly walked into the mouth of the basilisk and toward the smallest basilisk fang hanging from the farthest part of the mouth. The mouth felt slimy and sticky, and a bit of the dried saliva stuck on the sole of Draco's shoes. Poison dripped down from some of the fangs, and the slight drip drip drip made Draco frightened.

"Draco," a small voice of his Aunt Bellatrix called behind him. "Go, almost there, keep going."

Draco felt surprised as his aunt's sudden encouragement. Her voice softened and the murderous expression she always wore wiped off her face. She watched her nephew closely as he reached for the fang.

Bellatrix cheered Draco on, not bringing him down or yelling for him to be faster. The end felt far away, but it came closer when Draco reached out his hand, grabbing the smallest fang at the end of the basilisk's mouth. He closed his hand over the cold and ancient fang, yanking it out, feeling disgusted as he did so. Staring at the prize in his hand, he quietly walked back and handed it to Bellatrix.

Bellatrix twirled the tiny fang in his hand, a grin spread wide across her beautiful face, inspecting it closely and cursing silently. "Something tells me this could be very useful in the future, Draco."

Bellatrix never thinks, she does. Draco felt clearly more surprised when she actually thought about this whole plan. Bellatrix, flicking a lock of her hair behind her broad shoulders, showed her nephew something barely visible. A triangle, the symbol of the Resurrection Stone, etched the side of the fang like carved magic.

Draco only nodded, gaping at the mark and blinking continuously. He felt a little dizzy when he came back from the Chamber of Secrets, but Bellatrix began searching on information of the Forbidden Forest and the Resurrection Stone.

At night, Draco always seemed too tired to talk, as he got a lot of homework and the last adventure made him a bit weak. He would fling himself onto the bed as Bellatrix reviewed the information she gathered from students, staff, and portraits around the school. As she watched him fall asleep, she would walk over to him, bid him goodnight in the softest voice as possible, and tuck him into bed. When she returned to her work, she would often glance at Draco as he slept soundly, checking for his discomforts or nightmares using Legilimency and Occlumency, magical ways to read a person's mind.

During these few weeks, Bellatrix Lestrange grew softer and cared for Draco. In the other hand, Draco covered his aunt's footprints so she wouldn't be spotted at school as she floated around collecting information.

Though Draco and Bellatrix often argued about the Dark Lord's return or not, they got along very well. They argued about whether the Dark Lord lived through the war, or that he got killed in the end. Bellatrix often boasted of the Dark Lord's ability of not dying and the way he lived as a proper pureblood.

"Potter told you the Dark Lord lived as a half-blood. His father, a handsome Muggle named Tom Riddle Senior, the person Merope Gaunt, the Dark Lord's mother, married with the help of a love potion."

"The Dark Lord lived during the war, I feel so sure!" claimed Bellatrix, though she didn't feel sure at all. "He shall not be a half-blood in my own mind, I refuse to believe it!"

Truthfully, Bellatrix cared for Draco very much, more than she did for the Dark Lord. She loved the Dark Lord beyond anything or anyone else in the world, and she lived to serve him. Her thoughts guarded her heart, and she refused to let go of the Dark Lord, thinking that he lived during the war. Her stubbornness appeared once in a while, and Draco often got cursed in the face for arguing about the Dark Lord's death.

Now, those thoughts changed immensely. She thought about the love her family gave her, her younger sisters Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy, her husband Rodolphus Lestrange, her parents, her relatives, and her loving nephew Draco. Bellatrix never understood love for her family and friends before, only for the Dark Lord. This quest gave Bellatrix more time to spend with her family, and it made her draw herself closer to Draco, which she found an intelligent, quick-witted, and interesting young man. Her family and friends compared to the cold and master Dark Lord felt so different in a million ways.

The day of the quest in the Forbidden Forest drew closer, and Bellatrix wondered why she ever accepted this dangerous mission for a man who never loved her.

Chapter Four

"We could die, or turn into werewolves, Aunt Bella," whispered Draco as two golden eyes peered at him from behind a tree and disappeared. That left Draco with a curious and terrified feeling. "You need to check the date of the moon! Go buy yourself a Muggle calendar, Auntie!"

"I'd be in the questioning room of the Ministry or Azkaban by that time, Draco," snapped Bellatrix, handing Draco the basilisk fang and taking out her walnut-made wand. "I didn't know there would be a full moon today. Full moon days and go to Azkaban days certainly would not be marked on a Muggle calendar for me when I buy it. I also would never buy a Muggle substance in my life, Draco. The stupid Muggles think the Galleons as a locket or the thing they call coin. They hold those little silver things and pieces of parchment in their ungrateful hands like it meant everything to their silly little lives."

Aunt and nephew argued about calendars, Muggles, and pieces of parchement. Draco desperately tried to get a conversation going because the howls of the werewolves and the constant scuttling in the woods made him occasionally jump back or huddle closer to the fast-gliding Bellatrix.

Bellatrix and Draco's wand shimmered magical light from the Wand-Lighting Charm Lumos in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest. The forest, so mysterious and dangerous, felt as if whispering to Draco, a scary hiss slithering into the center of his skull. Bellatrix zoomed faster now, maybe because she felt a bit frightened or she felt eager to finish this quest tonight.

"Aunt Bella, where do we go now?" asked Draco as they came to a stop. Bellatrix roughly shoved a hand over her nephew's big mouth and he stopped talking immediately. A tall, black blur flashed by the nearest bush and Draco held out his wand in panic. Bellatrix lowered her guard instead, her right hand on Draco's mouth.

"I hoped so, a competition," she said, glancing at the place the black blur vanished and smiling, her eyebrows twitching. "Hush, young idiot. Welcome to the center of the Forbidden Forest, the trespassing place of all animals in the woods here. A crazy centaur just passed, Draco. Centaurs could become dangerously wild creatures when they involve with other crazy species. This one seems to go superior viral."

"What should we do now? We should go back, Aunt Bella," urged Draco as more shuffling noise came from behind the bushes.

Bellatrix laughed cruelly, throwing back her head and twisting her wand round and round between her slim fingers. "Draco, I sense that our dear centaur friend holds the Resurrection Stone in his hands right now. Smell the power, Draco, the stone rests behind that bush where he disappeared."

Draco couldn't smell the power as his aunt instructed. He lifted his head and saw the centaur holding the Resurrection Stone, a small triangular rock. The centaur seemed to be playing with it, not knowing anything about the stone.

"What should we do know, Aunt Bella?" Draco repeated, his handsome blonde hair flying in the midnight cold wind.

"We kill the centaur. We get the Resurrection Stone and I see the Dark Lord again. Hide quickly when he appears, Draco. Okay, um, NOW!" ordered Bellatrix as Draco ducked behind a tree.

The centaur came to the clearing, facing Bellatrix. A wild look filled his dark eyes and Draco pushed his lips together tightly into a straight line. He looked young, a tanned half-human and half-horse, his height more than seven feet. Though Bellatrix stood as tall as possible, the centaur stood taller. They both held that murderous glare, and their eyes burned with fire.

In the corner of his eyes, Draco saw the centaur gripping the Resurrection Stone in his left hand and a wand in his right. The centaurs couldn't get a wand, or steal one by the law. A Wizard's Midnight Battle in the center of the Forbidden Forest? Draco could not let this happen.

"Stupefy!" shouted the wild centaur, pointing the wand at Bellatrix. Before she could react, she got pulled off the ground and hit a slab of rock behind her. Draco reached out desperately, but Bellatrix's nasty stare meant one word: stay.

Bellatrix stood up bravely and pointed her wand back at the centaur. A jet of red light exploded from her wand, but the centaur deflected it barely. The next few minutes filled the air with spells and clashes. The centaur fought viciously, but Bellatrix only thought of that prize in his hands, and her fury made her fight harder.

In the end, Bellatrix got a slight cut on the cheek while the centaur looked pale but alive.

Around the end of the battle, Bellatrix stopped for breath, for she never fought such a good-trained beast before and the lack of magic made her tired. At this chance, the centaur lashed forward and brought the wand down onto her like a sword. Draco couldn't bare it. He came out from his hiding spot and snatched at the centaur's wand, gripping it firmly from him and breaking it into half. He dropped the broken wand onto the forest ground, standing between the exhausted Bellatrix and the tall wild centaur.

"I know what you want, centaur," Draco said, his voice as calm and persuading as possible. He took out the basilisk fang from his robe pocket and held it out. He pointed slowly at the Resurrection Stone in the centaur's hands, then to the fang in his own hand.

The centaur agreed, nodding as they traded their substances. Draco bowed to the centaur and the centaur bowed back to Draco, holding the fang to his chest like a priceless present. The beast galloped off into the woods, but seconds later came Professor McGonagall, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Draco could feel Bellatrix gone from her place, and he slowly dropped the Resurrection Stone into his back robe pocket, facing Professor McGonagall.

"Suspended, Mr. Malfoy, for lurching in the Forbidden Forest late at night after curfew, and especially since full moon. I shall send an owl to your parents and send you back on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow morning. Now, let's get back and discuss your terms," said Professor McGonagall as she led Draco out of the forest.

In the middle of their walk back to the castle, Draco felt cold air surrounding him. He smiled, dropping the Resurrection Stone onto the forest floor, and continued to follow Professor McGonagall into the castle safety grounds.

Bellatrix swooped the Resurrection Stone off from the floor where Draco put it for her. She turned the Stone three times to each side, and dropped it down onto the floor.

Lord Voldemort stood before her, and Bellatrix's big eyes welled with true tears of pure happiness. She bowed before her beloved master, kissing his robes and feet.

"My lord," she cried, "I have found you at last."

"Yes, Bella. But, you know, some should never be found, like the ones who did harm to this world," replied the Dark Lord coldly and calmly, his grey form shimmering.

"Wha-What do you mean, my lord?" stammered Bellatrix.

"I changed during my death, Bella," answered the Dark Lord, his simple words effecting Bellatrix hardly.

"No! You did not die, my lord! No, impossible!" cursed Bellatrix, shaking.

"You heard me, Bella. I died at the hands of Harry Potter. Painful and happy memories came back to me while I slowly died. I remembered why I became so cruel, and why I decided to conquer the world. Bella, do you know why I sent you on this meaningless little play quest?" asked Lord Voldemort.

"No, my lord, and this quest could never be meaningless. I found you, my lord."

"I put you on this quest to find yourself without me," continued Lord Voldemort, ignoring Bellatrix's loyal and loving comments. "I watched how you stumbled across planning, mastering, and leading. When I saw how incapable you became, I ordered Borgin of the fake prophecy, the Malfoy boy, and the Resurrection Stone. I set up this little life game for you, Bellatrix. I did this so you would learn how to live without your precious master, someone you loved that didn't love you back, and a person that held no heart to even love you at all but to only see you as a servant. I did cruel things in my life and didn't recognize your love, Bellatrix. I apologize. But now let's resume back to the meanings of the quest."

"I don't understand, my lord," Bellatrix murmured.

"I arranged you a quest with your nephew, Draco Malfoy because you never truly loved him. You did things for him, but you actually did it all for me. You taught Draco Occlumency for the benefits during his quest. You made Severus Snape swear the Unforgivable Vow to test his loyalty against me, not to help Draco and protect him. I admire your reasons for me, Bella. During this quest, Draco wisely guided you through three important places. If I left you on your own during this quest, you could already be caught or wandered fifty times in the same old corridor. Draco also loved and cared for you, covering your footprints throughout the year. He also never questioned or hesitated on the circumstances on his well-being behalf, but yours. See now, Bella, what a loving family you got."

"Thank you for bringing me Draco. Your purpose and lessons for me mark as great wisdom, and I shall never forget how you helped me, my lord," said Bellatrix, bowing her head slightly.

"And I shall never forget your bravery, loyalty, and not to mention stupidity. Turn your love towards your family and Draco now. You know about family, love, real loyalty, and true friendships now. Don't pity the dead and don't try to bring them back. The dead stays dead, and you shall be grateful for having a choice to reborn into a free spirit. In my life, you stayed loyal and friendly to me, while I treated you as a servant. I repay you with your kindness by helping you love your family again, like Draco and find more friends who can be willing to help you, like Borgin. This is the truth, Bella. The truth is to find family and friends and enjoy your life while it lasts, and not to hate it."

Bellatrix Lestrange watched as Lord Voldemort's form disappeared, leaving her smiling in the darkness, as if her heart felt full in the end.


End file.
